Ritual of Memories: A fatal frame AfterStory
by FFFFFreak
Summary: Miku survived both the Mansion and the Manor. She should have learned her lesson, but our micro-skirted heroine is too crazy for her own good. With a mysterious ritual,will she be able to talk to Muffy again?


CHAPTER 1: **In which I was reunited with the person who's close in my heart (This is not you, Mafuyu!You can rot in hell's gate with that Kirie,,err,,)**

It's been a week now since Rei-san saved me from the Manor.I couldn't remember much the moment I woke up. All I remember is chasing after my brother, down to the endlessly long hallway filled with ropes and then, there was darkness. My memory just vanished as the tattoo in my skin. But I knew only one thing: I owe Rei-san my life, and if it wouldn't be for her, I might had joined my brother in the which sends shivers down to my spine to this day.

I have to live for my brother. I have to live my life carrying on his memories. Rei-san once told me, as long as I go on living, my brother would continue to exist. At least in my memories of him.

But sometimes I find myself wishing, wanting to talk to him. To apologize, to thank him for everything he did to me. Just as Rei-san did to Asou-kun. To tell him how much I missed him and how my life is living with Rei-san. But most importantly, I would tell him:

_**"Damn you, Mafuyu! Why do you have to choose a girl who's hundred years older than our great grandma over me, your sweet dedicated loving little sister? You have a very poor taste on women..A very terrible taste I tell you!"**_

SIGH. Oh well, I should stop myself thinking over that. Rei-san is giving me weird looks again, and I don't really want to tell her what I am thinking. That would certainly increase the weird looks, plus maybe she'll send me on some shrink so I can discuss my problems and I dunno, let go or something.

Rei-san and I were at the dark room at her house drying up the photographs. She already hid the photos from the Manor so we can somehow forget everything that happened there. We stopped dreaming about the Manor as soon as the curse was lifted but that surely didn't stop us from having nightmares every once in a while. I swear the dream last night where I was stuck in a small square room with the crazed head carpenter and his hatchet made me very nearly wet myself.

Ding-dong!Wow! It is strange to have visitors in weekend.

"Wonder who could it be?" Rei-san said, still a little busy on the photograph she's painstakingly dipping at the tray. "Miku, could you please?"

"Yep. I'm on it." I hung the last photo at the rack and ran out of the dark room."Who is it?" I cheerfully called down all the way to the door.

"Miku, it's me," a muffled male voice answered me back. The voice is awfully familiar that I froze, still unable to believe who I was hearing.

I excitedly opened the door and cried was Mafuyu...NOT!Haha..I got you in there HAHA...Okay I'm gonna stop wasn't Mafuyu, but the next best thing of my memory of him.

"Ryuu-kun!" I cried out his name and glomped at the tall, dark-haired young man standing before me. I must admit, Ryuu-kun really changed from the last three years I saw him when he was still fifteen. He's way taller than me now, and his black hair is messier but shorter than Mafuyu's had ever been.

But same thing remains: The big friendly smile in his slightly tanned, rugged features. Ryuu-kun had slight resemblance with Mafuyu, the same gentle look and his height, because he was a distant cousin to us. And a close childhood playmate too. You could say, he's the bane of my childhood life. Admit it, you got one too!

"Good to see you too," He laughed and hugged me back. Then,he released me and took my shoulders. "It's been awhile, Miku-nee. How are things with you?"

I was surprised he didn't mention big brother, but the knowing, painful look in his brown eyes told me, I knew he had already an idea 'bout it. "I'm fine.

B-But how did you know I'm here? And where on earth have you been during those three years?We have no contact with you or anything. Mafuyu was very worried..." I trailed lamely.

Ryuu-kun's gaze dropped to the ground. "About your brother...I'm so sorry,Miku. If I were here, I could have stopped him. I had a dream about him...3 years ago, wandering on a strange, old mansion surrounded by a forest."

My eyes widened like saucers. "Dreamed about him? At the Himuro Mansion?" Did I mention Ryuu-kun had been a very close playmate with me and brother? It is because he...well...he's like us. He also had seen things an ordinary person can't see, hear and feel things normal people are blissfully unaware of. That's why the three of us understand each other a lot. We spent every chance we have to play together whenever he visited us, which grew rarely as time goes by, until he finally disappeared on us three years ago. We didn't even see him on Mom's funeral, and when Mafuyu disappeared, I couldn't contact him. And now he suddenly appears out of nowhere and pops back in my...er Rei-san's doorstep just to tell me he was very sorry for bailing us out and telling me he had a vision of Mafuyu being spirited away in that creepy-ass mansion...Before I knew it, all the bottled feelings inside me, when he left us and Mafuyu's death, burst out in an unstoppable rush of anger.

I raised my hand and smacked the back of his head. Hard. "OWW!" he cried out in pain, obviously not expecting that. But he didn't glare at me nor didn't say anything. He just looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"That's for suddenly disappearing on us without leaving any clue on where you are and what are you doing," I balled my fists and drummed them on his chest repeatedly. He didn't even flinched. "And this is for not responding to my own calls when brother disappeared on that stupid mansion. And most of all, this is for not coming home even when you already learned what happened to him. Or even to me. You don't know everything I've been through! Instead of you being there, Mafuyu had to entrust me with a friend. _A friend_. You know we haven't got any relatives left." I tried to force back my tears, but stopping them makes it hard for me to breathe until finally one drop fell. "I only have Mafuyu and you but you're not there. I was beginning to think you got spirited away too because of our gift and now you're here to tell me how sorry you are?You're so stupid, Ryuu-kun!I hate you-"

"Stop!"He held out my hands, his voice slightly breaking. Glad that my words hit their mark, I fliched from his grasp and furiously wiped out the tears on my face, slightly relived Rei-san is at the dark room and oblivious to all of this. "For my part, will you first let me explain?" He gave me a tentative smile, the same smile brother used to flash at me when things get rough around us. Remembering him brought me to tears again, but these have no sadness in them. Just angry and frustrated at myself for breaking down so easily like that. I always try to hide my feelings from Rei-san but with Ryuu-kun...well, even when we're kids,he's always the one who teased me and made me cry. But he always apologize in the end and flash me that gentle smile then we'll play together again. Things were a lot easier when we're kids, when brother is there to watch over me when Ryuu-kun's teasing me..

"Miku?" I could hear approaching footsteps from the house. I composed my face in my usual bright expression,not wanting to let Rei-san see me bawling my eyes out. I did a pretty good job because by the time Rei-san came, her gaze quickly snapped to Ryuu-kun who bowed his head in greeting,and not on my puffy eyes. She raised one questioning brow.

"Ah, Rei-san. This is Kazuo, Ryuu-kun. My cousin." I held out my arm to Ryuu,relieved my voice sounded normal. "Ryuu-kun, this is Kurosawa, Rei-san. She's the fiancee of Mafuyu's friend, Asou-kun. The one I was telling you about earlier." I added emphatically. "I've been working for her for months now and I'm staying here with her. This is her house."

"Former fiancee," Rei-san corrected me lightly, her eyes suddenly drifting away for a second before smiling at Ryuu-kun. "I am pleased to meet you, Kazuo-kun. Miku mentioned having one relative left,I didn't quite expect you were this..young."

Ryuu-kun smiled. "Nice to meet you too, Kurosawa-san,"He bowed his head again. "Thank you for taking care of Miku-nee.I should be the one doing it after what happened to Mafuyu. Again, thank you very much!" He said loudly as he bowed again.

Rei-san glanced at me with an amused smile. "Why don't you come in?You must be cold. I told Miku she can invite anyone in whenever she wants but still thinks she's a stranger in this house."

Of course the reason why I didn't invite him in is because I'm still pissed at him but Rei-san is watching me curiously so I gave in. "Come on,"I said rather grumpily. Ryuu-kun's pale face was so relieved that I couldn't help smiling slightly at him too. Now that I think about it, it was rather bitingly cold outside!It didn't lessen my guilt when I saw he came here only with a motorcycle and nothing but a brown jacket to warm him. It was coming close to winter after all, with autumn ending just a few weeks from now.

Rei-san disappeared inside probably to make some tea. Just after she left, Ryuu-kun shuffled inside the house and suddenly gave a light tap in my head. I looked up in surprise to see him wincing at me. "That still hurts, y'know. I never knew you can bring down a man to his knees quickly as that," He said in a hurt voice but with a smile.

I grinned cheekily, beginning to warm up at I'm still a bit mad at him He's like a little brother I never had and I missed him so much.

"You'll get several of those if you couldn't explain yourself well to me, got that?"

His smile vanished. "Yes ma'am."

"You have what?"I was looking at Ryuu-kun incredulously, almost dropping the tea I was about to give him. The three of us were sitting at Rei-san's living room, with Ruri, my black cat, laying lazily on his lap, purring whenever he touched its back. Heck, even Ruri misses him.

"I was stuck on a temple in some backwater mountains, that's what," Ryuu-kun said again, his face heating. He took the hot tea and sipped it even without blowing the heat away as if trying to wash out his embarrassment. "The reason why I didn't have the chance to go home is because I was living in the temple and the monks there wouldn't let me go. I tried so many times to escape only to be beaten up in a bloody pulp. It didn't stop me from having dreams about Mafuyu, though."

I opened my mouth to say something but Rei-san's voice beat me to it. "Why on earth would you live in the temple than stay with your cousins?" She asked in amazement. "You said earlier the reason you left home at fifteen is to travel around the country and be a nature photographer"

"I was. Really I am," Ryuu-kun replied defensively. "But when I came on this mountain at the north to collect some facts about the Purification Ritual there, these monks in white suddenly came unto me and said: 'You possessed the Gods' power. You must put it into good use. For humanity's sake' before they knocked me out. When I opened my eyes, I was in this secluded temple at the mountain top and the monks forced me to train with them from then on."

"Are you serious?" Rei-san is definitely not buying it, just like me. She sent me a is-your-cousin-really-okay look and I shrugged, clueless as she was.I had it in my best experience that Ryuu-kun can concoct the wildest of tales, no matter how ridiculous they may be.

"It's the truth, I swear," Ryuu-kun said adamantly,noticing our skeptical expressions. He sighed, blowing a strand of black hair from his face. "To tell the truth, I haven't really noticed three years have passed by. It's a difficult thing to explain but time seemed faster there. And the monks were determined to lock me in. Believe me, if I knew Mafuyu's in trouble, I'd run straight to you faster than you could say Jack Hoope Robinson."

Okay, I know Ryuu-kun's pretty lame on words but I also know he meant what he said. Ever since his parents died, brother and I were the only people he can call as family. He can be a dumbass sometimes but he's a very loyal one,if he's with us in the first place, Mafuyu would unhesitatingly entrust me to his care even if he's two years younger than me and still in college.

"I believe you, well partly believed you. I mean locked up in a shinto temple? Assuming you're telling the truth, what exactly are you doing there for three years?Practicing some kick ass moves just like you see in the movies?" I frowned at the thought,finding it hard to imagine Ryuu-kun with a bandage around in his head, all up with training gloves and doing the Ryu pose from street fighter. I twitched.

"Nah, It was more like practice in the mind," he said absently, stroking Ruri's back. "Come to think of it,after I was released,I've been seeing a lot of things lately, compared to my experiences in the past. It's like a heightened version of our gifts, this day, I really want to kill those monks.."

"Mine was taken by Mafuyu," I said with a smile. His reaction to what I said almost made me laugh.

"That's not fair! How come he didn't take mine?" He grumbled, looking like a kid whose favorite toy was taken away from him.

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe because while you were sitting your butt off harnessing your spiritual energy in some secluded mountaintop, my brother and I were fighting for our lives in a mansion filled with Malice-ridden ghost and constantly stalked by a creepy rope maiden who's really a sucker for love?"

Ryuu-kun shrugged and turned to Rei-san. "Anyways, Kurosawa-san, I want to thank you how you saved Miku-nee's neck in the Manor of Sleep. I was scared I was too late."

Rei-san's head shot up, her eyes widened. I was wearing the same expression. "How d'you know that?" We almost demanded at the same time

Ryuu-kun shrugged again. "Because I've been there," he said so casually as if he's talking about the weather. "I sensed Mafuyu in there, and you too, Miku-nee. For my part, I was chasing someone..err..important," his eyes dimmed a little, and I instanty knew what he meant. I was about to say something gentle to him when he cheekily continued: "'Course it would be more logical if you also dreamt about me and brought me in there,Miku-nee,"

"WHAT!How could I dream about you when all I think about was being with Mafuyu?" But deep inside me, I am not so sure whether I dreamt about Ryuu-kun or not. My memory's still a bit fuzzy, and when I paused to recall all what happened, I couldn't help but to remember the bad ghosts who were after our necks, so I had to shake away from those thoughts. Forgetting can be a lot better, right?

"Still," Rei-san cut in softly. "How did you know I *saved* Miku? And how did you know that dreaming about the person who's under the Curse can bring you to the Manor? I never remembered seeing you.."

"Some places in the Manor of sleep exist differently from person to person, according to your memories. Time is a different thing there, as well as perception. I may catch a glimpse of you but you can never see me, and even if I called you, you wouldn't respond." Ryuu-kun said, sipping his tea while he thought of better words to explain to us clearer. "I saw Kurosawa-san was looking for Miku, because somewhere in my mind, I knew Miku-nee's in trouble too. I was connected to Miku and Miku was connected to you. I was in the advanced stage of the curse itself," Ryuu-kun rubbed the back of his head

sheepishly, a gesture he often did when he's uncomfortable. "When I finally woke up, the monks knew what was going on and told me I was nearly killed in my sleep. I just knew, somehow, that Kurosawa-san is involved. It's because of you Miku-nee and I were saved. Thank you...for everything."

Rei-san gently brushed him off. "You don't need to thank me. I was doing what I have to do," she said, her face suddenly growing somber at the thought that if she probably didn't succeed on sending Reika to the Other side, not only my life and hers would end that day but the lives of countless others trapped in the endless sleep. It's rather a disturbing thought. And again, I felt another surge of gratefulness to this woman who did not only took care of me when

I lost Mafuyu, but also saved my life and gave me the chance to live on in his stead..unlike a certain somebody who was missing for three years nurturing suicidal tormenting thoughts in some temple only to end up being stuck with me in the Manor. At this, I glared at Ryuu-kun who had his hand on his head again growing uneasy at my pissed off Miku glare.

"At any rate, Miku-nee," He cleared his thought, changing the subject, "In the Manor, did you and Mafuyu...well..talked?"

Aware that Rei-san is also watching me (we really haven't discussed the part where I chase down Mafuyu because it upsets us) I gently shook my head. "I can't remember much..I was chasing Mafuyu in the hallway full of ropes, calling after him, and when I was near enough to touch him, I'm not so sure what happened afterwards. It's like falling in a very deep sleep and then waking up only to find myself being embraced by Rei-san," I smiled at her in gratefulness and again, she just dismissed it as a wave. "That's much about it. Anyways, Ryuu-kun, you also can't remember what happened to you, did you?I mean, did you talked with the person you're looking for?Or even Mafuyu?"

Ryuu-kun shook his head mournfully. "I have a theory that the Manor interprets our memories and manifest them in our dreams. It wasn't the real person I was chasing, it wasn't really Mafuyu you were chasing. We're pretty much chasing after an illusion, a mirror image of someone we loved and lost but not the real thing because, I know Mafuyu and a lot of others who we're chasing, they wouldn't lead us to our deaths, would they? It's all part of the Curse. But at that time, all we wanted is to be with them and follow them no matter what. I sensed Kurosawa-san is different. Instead of searching for the personshe lost, she's searching the Manor for more information about the Curse."

"I was chasing someone too," Rei-san interrupted gently. "My late fiance, Yuu. I think he's the one who leads me out of the Manor and save myself. Not to mention, if I were being chased by a tattooed ghost, I wouldn't be the type of person who sits around and do nothing," She chuckled but her eyes were somehow distant, thoughtful. Thinking about Asou-kun is hard for Rei-san but she's trying her best to live without him, and because I owe her my life,I know I should do the same thing.

Rei-san stood up. "Anyways, Kazuo-kun. I imagine you and Miku need a lot of catching up to do. If you excuse me, I need to finish developing some photos for our projects." She smiled and nodded at us before disappearing to the dark room again. Ryuu-kun bowed and turned his eyes to me.

"So Kurosawa-san is a professional photographer huh?" He sighed in longing. "How nice. I wish I could get a great job like that,"

But I have a more urgent issue in mind. "Ryuu-kun," I said, "The one you're chasing..Is it her?"

To my irritation, he only smiled mischievously. "Nope. I was following you,"

"It is her, isn't it? Don't deny it Ryuu-kun."

He chuckled, shaking his head a little but when he met my eyes, they were serious and a little sad. "I want to talk to her too y'know? Just like how you wanted to see and talk with Mafuyu. Miku-nee, I am really glad you're okay and all that, and I know I wasn't there when you needed me the most. Again, I'm really really sorry for that. I'm glad you found a great life with Kurosawa-san and build up your own future, it's what Mafuyu really wants for you believe me."

"Yeah, but just like you said, I wanted to talk to him. Our last meeting was too terrible to remember," My hands curled up in a fist in my sides,quenching the memory of my brother dying with that Rope Shrine Bitch Kirie after everything what I did to him. EVERYTHING. I was wrong, I don't want to talk with Mafuyu. Maybe to land him a punch or smack his head just what I did to Ryuu-kun, and tell him how stupid he is, just leaving his little orphaned sister behind in a big scary world-okay,I'll stop ranting now

"Well, you can't talk to him now," Ryuu-kun said lightly, "Unless you travel to a portion of the Other side by your memories of the events leading up to your final encounter with him so you can talk to his spirit and tell him anything you want then return to the living world agai-OH CRAP!Did I just said something?" He was looking at me with widened eyes and a hand clamped in his mouth as if holding himself not to throw up. If I would have been less keen, I would have laughed at his comical expression, but I was more focused on what he stupidly rambled on.

"What?" I advanced to him. "What are you talking about traveling to the Other side and returning again?Hey, is it even possible?"

Ryuu stared at me for a moment and quickly lowered his head. "I mean, Wow!Ruri sure had grown bigger the last time I saw her. D'you remember when we're still kids and we used to bring her in your room when you're mom's not looking so we can dump your blanket over her and watch her wiggle your way out-"

"Ryuu-kun!" I said sharply, using my perfect big sister voice. "What do you mean traveling to the Other side with your memories? Is it even possible...that I can see Mafuyu again?"

"Hey, had your experience in the Manor taught you nothing?" Ryuu-kun was scowling at me. "You nearly get killed for following after him, and now you're saying you wanted to do something to talk to him by traveling to the Otherside?Do you realize there's a very large possibility of you not coming back? After Kurosawa-san saved your ass, now you want to risk it again by wanting to talk with your brother?"

"I wouldn't have thought of it until you TOLD me," I countered, growing angry. "You should have kept your mouth shut then. Stupid Ryuu-kun. Now, tell me. What about using your memories to reach Mafuyu to the Other side?"

It wasn't easy extracting the information from Ryuu-kun. He was stubbornly and irritatingly silent. I used every means to convince him, cajoling him, telling him I can forgive him if he would tell me about it, I even tried blackmail (on how I would threaten on telling Rei-san all the crazy things he did as a child) but to no avail. I even tried talking about other topics, like the old times, and then swerving back to my original question to see if he would recklessly reveal something again but no luck. Two hours later, and Rei-san had already emerged from the dark room but apart from what he said earlier, he didn't reveal anything.

"Are you guys okay?" Rei-san approached us, noticing our glaring contest.

Ryuu-kun looked up to her and smiled. "Kurosawa-san, I'm afraid I must be going. I need to take care of things in my new apartment so I really have to go." He stood up and bowed. "Thanks for the tea!"

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" Rei-san suggested, thinking Ryuu-kun and I needed to talk more, something I really wanted

"Uh-huh" I quickly agreed, smiling sweetly at him. "Not to brag or anything but I cook pretty well, y'know? And for a very important cousin of mine who I haven't seen for a very long time, I can whip up something pretty good."

"No,It's okay, I swear," he replied, smiling sweetly at me too. "I need to get going. Maybe I'll come visit the next few days, when I'm all settled up. Then Miku-nee, we'll talk," he said in finality before gently laying the sleeping Ruri to the sofa and put on his jacket. "Thank you for everything," he said to us again when we escorted him to the door. We watched him ran down the yard to his bike, his shoulders hunched against the chilly dusk wind (Hmm I never really noticed how late it had been) to put on his helmet. With a final wave of goodbye, he reared up and the only sign he'd been there is the think smoke of engine gathering up in the air. I stared at the cloud, frowning slightly.

"A nice young man," Rei-san commented absently and then she noticed my frown. "What's wrong? Did you two fight?"

"Ryuu-kun's being stubborn," I grumbled vaguely. "Anyways, I expect we'll see him a lot of these days. He knew he has to pay for his absence during three years and it includes watching over me, I guess, from a distance. He moved in to a new apartment at Nagoya and enrolled in there for college. All taken from what the fund he inherited from his yes, he'll visit quiet often, mainly because he doesn't know how to cook,"

Rei-san chuckled a bit."Still, he's pretty independent for his age. And strong enough to survive the Curse. But I still don't buy on him training in some temple. It sounds so ridiculous to me. I really find it hard he's your cousin or any way related to you."

I shrugged with a smile. Sometimes, I find it hard too that I was related to him, considering Mafuyu and I were virtually quiet and somewhat reserved. But unlike Rei-san, I know believe Ryuu-kun did spent a long time with the temple. He'd been practicing something else Mafuyu and I would never dreamt on having, even if we still have our heightened spiritual awareness or not.

Something which could probably lead me to Mafuyu himself.


End file.
